Alterations in shoulder muscle activity due to changes in data entry organisation

The aim of the present study was to investigate how changed work organisation and different work tasks influence shoulder muscular load and to quantify the magnitude, duration and frequency of rest periods from shoulder muscular load during a working day. Shoulder muscular load was measured in 22 females working at their data entry workplaces, during a whole working day. The activity from both trapezius muscles was measured with EMG before (1991) and after (1992) a reorganisation programme intended to redistribute repetitive work and provide new work tasks. The change in work organisation did not change the magnitude of muscular load or the duration and frequency of rest periods, but decreased musculoskeletal problems. The subjects' increased desk work involved greater muscular load than the data entry did, but also allowed more movement. The changes in work tasks seemed to be important, although small. In repetitive work, organisational changes aimed at reducing musculoskeletal disorders should focus on providing employees with tasks that afford variation in muscular load. Relevance to industry The paper discusses the need of physical work task variation in repetitive work in order to minimise the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. It seems more important to vary the tasks than to minimise the shoulder muscular load. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.